nicolec
Well-known member
Okay so after much thought and consideration here is my two cents on the Kanilea tenor. Upon arrival from Reverb I was underwhelmed initially. While the build is perfect and even this simple natural finish was gorgeous, the sound was stifled. It was almost as if when playing, the sound seemed trapped inside the body…thats the best way I can explain it. Granted this is used and I dont know where/when, if ever, it was set up. So I changed the strings to Living Waters and that really makes it sing beautifully and adds a touch of brightness to a very woody and rich sounding instrument. This is my first tenor and Kanilea so obviously this is a veryyy subjective review. I found the fret board to be comfortable coming from a Koaloha soprano and even the body size has not thrown me for a loop. I like the richer deeper tones a lot! My only gripe is the action. Now I dont know if its because its a tenor or a Kanilea and maybe its as it should be, but i find it a bit high. I’ll be taking it to a reputable shop in a few days to see what they think and I’ll update the review after that. Perhaps this is just an instrument Im not used to but compared to the Koaloha which was set up by TUS, this is a bit more difficult to play for me. All this being said, after considering putting her up for sale on here, I think i was prepared to jump ship too soon. This is a really gorgeous instrument with the Tru R bracing, perhaps a 2021 model though Im not sure how to tell (please advise!). I paid just around $1k which is a ton of money for me but I THINK a decent deal for a Kanilea tenor especially a more recent model. In conclusion, I am happy with my decision and I am excited to give this instrument a little more time to settle into its new home at high altitude and for me to get to know it a little better. *the last pic the lighting had changed but the others are definitely truer to what she looks like in person
